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About the author

Matthew Smith obtained a masters degree in Print Journalism from the University of Sheffield before becoming a news reporter for the Enfield Independent in North London, while also covering Tottenham Hotspur football matches and other local sports. He joined the Daily Mail and Mail Online as a digital sports reporter in October 2016, and in 2017 was nominated for the NCTJ Award for Excellence in the trainee sports journalism category. He joined insidethegames.biz in May 2019.

inside the photos

Fact of the day

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Iranian judoka Arash Miresmaeili was disqualified for weighing in at nearly four pounds above the limit for his weight class of his under-66 kilograms match against an Israeli opponent Ehud Vaks in the first round. It was claimed Miresmaeili had gone on an eating binge to protest the International Olympic Committee's recognition of the state of Israel. Iran does not recognise the state of Israel, and Miresmaeili's actions won praise from high-ranking Iranian officials. Mohammad Khatami, the country's President at the time, was quoted as saying Miresmaili's actions would be "recorded in the history of Iranian glories". He was later awarded $125,000 by the Government - the same amount given to Olympic gold medallists.

Featured Job

The LTA’s vision is “Tennis Opened Up” and its mission is to make tennis Relevant, Accessible, Welcoming, and Enjoyable. The Performance Directorate's aim is to make GB one of the most respected nations in the world for player development so that we can continue to inspire the tennis audience with major tournament success. The Performance Director will lead the continued development and delivery of our performance strategy for the LTA Player Pathway.